When the Middle East’s Schengen-Style GCC tourist visa will roll out

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s long-planned unified tourist visa did not launch in 2025 and is now expected to be introduced in 2026, revising earlier timelines for one of the region’s most ambitious travel integration projects. As per a report by Gulf News, the clarification came from Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister in November, resetting expectations around the Schengen-style visa meant to ease travel across six Gulf countries.

Unified visa for six Gulf destinations

The unified visa, officially known as the GCC Grand Tours Visa, was earlier expected to enter a pilot phase in the final quarter of 2025. The proposal was approved by GCC interior ministers in November 2023 and has since been positioned as a key pillar of regional tourism cooperation. However, officials now say full implementation will take more time due to coordination requirements across member states.

Speaking at the Gulf Gateway Investment Forum in Manama, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the project had reached “a major milestone achieved after years of collaboration among GCC member states,” while confirming that the launch would take place in 2026. Earlier, UAE Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri had said the visa had received formal approval and was awaiting implementation, subject to coordination among interior ministries and other authorities.



The delay has been attributed to three main factors. Gulf officials have pointed to the need for alignment on security frameworks, immigration controls and data-sharing systems across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, had earlier said the project remained in a research phase, citing ongoing discussions on these issues.

Technical integration has also been a key challenge. The unified visa requires a shared digital platform capable of linking national immigration databases and border systems in real time, while meeting international security and data-protection standards. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said passport departments across member states have been holding joint technical meetings to address these requirements.

Officials have also opted for a phased approach rather than a rushed rollout. While a pilot launch was discussed for late 2025, authorities now say testing will feed into a full launch in 2026, with a focus on system reliability.

Once implemented, the unified visa will allow tourists to travel across all six GCC countries under a single permit, reducing the need for multiple applications. Travellers are expected to have the option of a single-country visa or a multi-country permit, with stays likely to be around 30 days, though final conditions are yet to be announced.

The push for a shared visa comes amid rising regional travel. In 2024, around 3.3 million visitors from GCC countries travelled to the UAE, accounting for 11 per cent of hotel guests, with Saudi Arabia contributing the largest share.

Until the new system is launched, travellers will need to continue following existing visa rules for each country.